Mistaken
by Eternitys End
Summary: Is Shido's reluctance to let Riho out doing more harm than good? Or are his fears rightfully placed? Read and review.
1. Mistake

Mistaken  
  
The door creaks open quietly and in steps a suit clad figure. He removes his hat and shrugs out of his coat while looking around the hall. He hangs his coat in the closet, just to the left of the door. The man takes time to put it in properly, then straightens the closets only other inhabitant, a neon green trench coat that had been slumped on the floor. He sighs, placing his hat neatly on its shelf and his fingers travel to the green bucket hat shoved way in the back. He stares at it a moment, making some sort of silent question. A few seconds go by before the thought is fully comprehended, something was missing.  
  
A slow smile creeps onto his face, a playful look, completely out of place on such stern features. He softly closes the closet, stepping away and begins to look around.  
  
"Riho?" He calls out, as if he were playing hide and seek. A giggle is heard just behind him, but as soon as he turns, it is gone.  
  
"Riho." The name is a defeated sigh across his lips.  
  
"You can't find me." Came the giggling voice. Shido turns to the source, but once again was disappointed.  
  
"Too slow." The words were whispered in his ear, this time, a soft brush of cloth against the back of his hand accompanied the words. Shido lets out a low, aggravated growl, which is soon accompanied by squeals of laughter as a response.  
  
"Riho, honestly." His tone is a mixture of exasperation and amusement. He looks around the sparse hallway. Where is she coming from?  
  
"I'm glad you're learning to control your powers." His eyes have trailed over to the shadowed corner at the end of the hallway.  
  
"But do you really have to practice on me?" Again giggles are heard, Shido's _expression brightens as he strides over to the corner.  
  
"Found." He begins, but stops short. He listens to the laughter that follows, he can see her in his mind's eye, keeled over in fits, but he can not find her.  
  
"Mr. Shido!" She laughs once more. Shido feels a small tap on his head, a lock of his lavender hair being tugged in the process.  
  
"Riho." He grumbled lowly and slowly tilted his head upward.  
  
"Hi!" She greets him brightly as though she hadn't been teasing him the way she had mere seconds ago. Using her bare feet and palms pressed firmly on either wall; Riho is supporting herself above his head.  
  
"How was your day?" Riho enquires in her usual chirpy voice. Shido stares up at her blankly for a few seconds.  
  
"It was fine." He answers coolly, holding out his arms.  
  
"What did you do?" She releases the pressure from the walls and drops to his sturdy embrace.  
  
"I discussed some information about the 'Breeds' with Yayoi and a few of her colleagues, nothing new." He sets her feet on the floor but does not release her from his hold.  
  
"And yours?" Shido replies while enjoying the embrace. Riho wraps her arms around his chest, hugging him tightly. He already knows she is stuck on one topic, his attempts to avoid it were futile of course. Though he can't see her face, he knows it is in a pout.  
  
"When can I come to a meeting?" Shido returns the hug, tilting his head down to kiss her hair, his arms wrapping around her snugly, but Riho is stiff in his arms, awaiting his answer.  
  
"When you can handle more exposure to natural light." He replies casually and feels her tense farther in his arms.  
  
"I can handle it! I'll wear sunglasses.even sunscreen if I have to!" Shido shifts his hold on her, his arms sliding outward so his hands grasp her jacket. Slowly, he lifts her off the ground, bringing them eye to eye.  
  
"Noon, on a mid-summer day, in a park, with not a cloud in the sky?" His tone and question is challenging. He watches as Riho squirms slightly at the mere mention of such conditions, Shido's point has already been proven.  
  
"But." Riho is struggling, more for a legitimate argument than release from his strong hold.  
  
"Can't they hold them in the evening, or inside or something?" Her face is scrunched with displeasure, an altogether endearing look.  
  
"You know they can't." Shido sets her back on her feet with a sympathetic look, but observes as Riho frowns, he knowing she hated the sympathy he showed for her. He wraps one arm around her waist and leads her toward the kitchen.  
  
"The Breeds aren't smart enough to eavesdrop." She was trying to argue more, even though it had already become a dead subject. Shido sits her on a beat up stool as he retrieves a bottle from the refrigerator.  
  
"You'd be surprised.they are evolving." Shido pours a deep red liquid into two mugs and places them into the microwave. Riho shifts.impatient at watching him do so. Shido turns to Riho as though ready to speak but.  
  
  
  
"And I'm still too young, so I should stay put. The Breed is too strong right now. I should practice and become more accustomed to my abilities, then I will be able to assist you rather than be a deterrent." Riho has already spoken and with that Shido frowns as she has just recited his entire speech.  
  
"You make me sound like a broken record." He is indignant as he pulls the mugs from the microwave just as it beeps.  
  
"Sound like?" Riho mutters to herself. Shido frowns, handing her one of the mugs.  
  
"I would have worded it better." Shido retorts trying to defend himself, but fails completely. He watches as Riho sips tentatively at the warm liquid.  
  
"Is it too hot?" He questions the young girl on the stool softly.  
  
"Its fine." Riho mutters, her carefree mood from before is gone.  
  
"I only do it for your safety," She looks up at him then and he begins to lose his resolve.  
  
"I'm sorry." She stares up at him, her eyes not leaving his. She doesn't blink and neither does he.  
  
"Do you want to go out tonight?" He asks, as if to make up for displeasing her earlier.  
  
"I don't know." Riho shifts her gaze to the side. Desperate to have her eyes back on his, Shido flounders for ideas.  
  
"Do you want to go shopping? Maybe to dinner and a movie? You name it, I don't have an assignment tonight." Riho's gaze realigns with his own, soothing him instantly.  
  
"Alright." She seems unenthused and Shido notices it immediately.  
  
"Are you alright?" Riho had changed so much lately since he'd changed her into one of his own kind.  
  
"I'm fine." She responds with an even tone, no emotion eliciting forth. Was she depressed? Did she regret asking to be changed and wishing to spend eternity with him?  
  
"You don't seem fine." Riho's eyes seem to ice over at his statement. Will he not drop the topic already?  
  
"Fine! Alright!" She snaps and lashes out, shoving her lover against the wall hard.  
  
"You want to know what's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong!" Riho clutches his throat, as if to choke him, but he no longer needs to breathe, they are both dead after all.  
  
"I'm tired of being babied. I'm tired of sitting at home while you do all the work. I'm strong, much stronger than Yayoi and her stupid squad and you let them combat the breed! Why can't I? I'm sick of being left at home. I want to go with you! I'm tired of this!" Riho releases him from her clutches and draws back, into herself. Shido gathers his wits about him before looking at her again and his visage carries a grimace. Inwardly, he is rebuking himself. He should have known this was more than a childish urge to see the sun and from the grip she'd just proven, he knew she was strong enough to hold her own. Why didn't he let her come? He needn't ask such questions to himself, for the answer was simple enough.  
  
"I don't want to lose you. I don't want to risk you." He is cool again, a sweet smile on his face.  
  
"I'm sorry if you feel left out." He unconsciously rubs his throat. If he were human, he would have bruised.but they are not. Shido looks at her, almost uncertain, but he awaits her reaction.  
  
"That's stupid!" Riho tries to remain angry, even as she moves to him, checking on the wound she herself had inflicted.  
  
"You can't lose me Shido.for we are both immortal. You're stuck with me, for all eternity." His hand comes up to touch her cheek and she leans into it, allowing him to support her weight once again.  
  
"I'm sorry." He mutters softly his eyes never leaving hers as through them, they smile at each other. Shido continued to caress his thumb back and forth over her cheek, no more words were uttered, neither needing to say another thing.they understood each other after all. 


	2. Misgive

Disclaimer: I don't claim any rights to Nightwalker.  
  
Fear, worry, and unease were not emotions frequented by Tatsuhiko Shido. In fact, even while retaining his human heart, he had fancied himself detached from those particular feelings for years on end. That, of course, was before he had taken a little orphaned human under his wing. Keeping a watchful eye on the girl had brought first impressions of worry into his daily life. Then, as time progressed, unease infiltrated his life as the girl set herself up as his personal assistant. Hiding his vampiric nature from her, along with dodging her awkward affections had caused unease and the best of times. But only now, as Riho's vampiric sire, lover, and partner, only now was he becoming well acquainted with the emotion called fear.  
  
"Mister Shido!" Riho chastised, tugging on her green coat and flipping her long hair out from beneath the collar. The lavender headed man didn't seem to notice, pacing up and down the long hallway, wringing his hands behind his back. "Shido!" She called again, finally breaking him from his musings. "What is wrong with you?" She asked, positioning her high ponytail to sit comfortably under her hat. Shido brought his hand to his face, brushing stray hands of hair away in an attempt to gather his thoughts.  
  
"I'm just nervous." He finally admitted. Riho frowned, beginning to take offense. "Its not you!" He corrected himself quickly. "I don't doubt your skill, I just can't help but worry about loosing you!" Riho's brow furrowed farther and Shido turned around, using the excuse of finding the sunscreen to avoid her hurt gaze. "I know you won't die," He casually flipped the SPF 75 bottle over his shoulder, counting on her reflexes to catch it. "But you're so young, you'd take a long time to regenerate." He murmured, finding his nail beds immensely interesting as he admitted his fears. "And you might not be the same."  
  
Small arms wrap themselves around Shido's waist, her hands barely meeting on the other side of his muscled body. "I know you worry. But I just want you to know that I'll be careful. And even if something does happen, I'll always come back to you. You just have to trust me." Riho rubbed her forehead between his shoulder blades, comforting him while trying not to leave a patch of oily suntan lotion in her wake. "Now, are you ready? I don't want to be late for my first meeting."  
  
~*~  
  
They were twelve minutes late to the meeting, Riho noticed with none- too-little embarrassment. Shido didn't seem to notice the disgruntled looks they'd received upon their arrival; either that or he didn't care. Judging from the lack of respect he held for the NOH, Riho suspected the latter.  
  
She exchanged well-meant quips with Guni and polite greetings with Yayoi before her attention focused on her new associates. The burly men, dressed in gaudy tweed, wool, or polyester suits looked completely out of place set at the splintering picnic table, attempting to act professional while a dozen yards off children were engaged in a game of tag. She bowed politely, apologized to the men for her tardiness, and proceeded to be completely ignored. Biting her lip and keeping half an ear on the businessmen's droning, she allowed attention to drift. She ranged from noting the irony of how well she blended with their cheery surroundings, compared to the men, to congratulating herself for holding up so well in the naturally bright area.  
  
A short time later, Shido tapped her shoulder carefully, bringing her out of her observational trance and gesturing to the file folder in hand. Flushing, Riho realized she'd just zoned through her entire first conference. This was not a good start.  
  
~*~  
  
"Were you listening to anything they said?" Shido truly attempted to reign in his annoyance, honestly he did. But seeing the guilty blush rise to Riho's cheeks, his suspicions were confirmed and rightfully placed anger presided. "Do you realize how dangerous being uninformed can be? You could have at least attempted to pay attention!" He barked testily, the stress of their new assignment having a not-unsubstantial effect on his temper. Their new assignment, he mused for a moment, make that his new assignment. If he couldn't trust her to sit through a short meeting, how could he expect her to perform competently on a mission? With a wave of his hand, quelling an urge to send Riho to her room, Shido poured himself a drink, hoping to drown himself in the coppery taste of blood. It was times like this that her really wished his constitution reacted to alcohol.  
  
A/N: Well, what do you think? It's short, with too much dialogue and too much action, but I'm developing the plot. (Plot? What plot!) I can't believe I'm actually continuing this. Review if you want more. Also, if anyone's interested, I'm looking for a place to archive my NW works other than ff.net. My complete lack of computer prowess keeps me from starting my own site. Heck, I'm just looking for a place that actually has NW fanfiction! Email Ba23_98@yahoo.com if you're interested or have any info on sites. 


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